Description:
The study investigates how fertility—measured in terms of household size and age composition—influences economic well-being and poverty conditions at individual and household levels in Ethiopia. Household economic well-being is defined in terms of labor force participation (especially of women), and household consumption expenditure. Addressing the questions below will show how the research describes the impact of population on economic growth and/or poverty reduction:

Do changes in household size and age composition affect household economic well-being in terms of its per capita consumption expenditure? If so, how much do they affect household per capita consumption expenditure? Are there differences in poverty status, measured in terms of consumption expenditure, among households based on differences in their household size and age composition? Do changes in household size and age composition affect household economic well-being in terms of mothers’ labor-market participation rate? Do the effects of household size and age composition on the economic well-being of the household vary in the life cycle of the household? How do the population and development policies and programs influence the demographic-economic relationship and how do the households perceive and respond to these policies and programs? What are implications for future intervention?

Results show that children have positive effects for both the rural and urban mothers’ hours of work when all households are considered, but not for urban mothers when households are categorized by the age groups of their children. While there may be many other factors hindering the realization of reproductive health and family planning programs’ objectives, one of these is lack of empirical evidence about the links between fertility and household economy. In the literature, the relationship between population growth and economic development has often been disputed, but there is growing evidence in many developing countries that, at least in the short run, high fertility inhibits growth, and that successful efforts to reduce fertility can accelerate economic growth.

Research Outputs:

Desta, Chalachew Getahun. (2014). Fertility and Household Consumption Expenditure in Ethiopia: A Study in the Amhara Region. Journal of Population and Social Studies, 22(2): 202-218. DOI: 10.11564/0-0-431

Desta, Chalachew Getahun. (2013). Fertility and maternal hours of work in Ethiopia: a case study in the Amhara region. African Population Studies, 27(2): 89-104. DOI: 10.14456/jpss.2014.12